Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-12-02

On, Dlck! sne went on, tne tears starting TO
her eye, ''he said such cruel, unjust things of
you"
Dick smothered an oath. He had no diff
Guilty in imagining the things MIR. Car
penter had said. He would have
liked to assure Nellie then and there
that they were utterly untrue, but
the slight remnant of conscience he still re-
tanned somehow forbade that Let it not be
understood that Dick was worse than hun
dred others. He had been lazy, extrava-
giant, foolish, but never malicious, or, as
things go nowadays, dishonorable. Yet he
felt bound to confess that, from the parental
point of view, he was hardly what might be
termed an eligible son-in-law.
And your he said at last
ZIP cried Nellie. Il answered that his
suspicious were false-unjust that he had no
right to utter the things he did-no grounds
for such accusations; and that, above all
loved you, Dick, better than life itself.n
What could he replyl How refrain from
taking her in his arms and kissing away the
tears which coursed down her cheeksa After
all he was but human
Presently she became quieter. And now,n -
she whispered, that have come you will
not send me away. Dick, 1 have sacrificed
everything for you. have promised TO be
your wife, and not even my father shall force
me to break that pledge"
He felt her tremble in his arms. The girls
pure young soul had been laid bare, and the
thought of her perfect trust almost over
whelmed him. How should he aeta He
knew well that once married to Nellie Mr..
Carpenters forgiveness was but ques-
ton OF time. OF this there was not the sha-
dow of a doubt in his mind And besides, he
loved her dearly-so dearly that he was pre-
pared to cut away from him the past and be-
| gin a new and better life with her. Nor
should it be thought that this was merely a
| passing fancy With Nellie to sustain him
| Dick would have been new man
| II only she had trusted him less implicitly.
| That was the torturing thought Had she
| doubted ever so little had she expressed the
slightest scruple, how eagerly he would have
striyen to overcome it But such absolute
belief in himself-this it was that touched
him
| 1t was hard; but, as l have said, Dick had
not quite lost all claim to the title of gentle
man; and he felt that there was no help fol
| It'll "Nellie," he said at length, lit cannot
be; you must return home"
| If he had dealt her blow, the expression
on the girls face could not have been more
terrible Even her hps seemed to banch a:
she disengaged herself from her lovers EN-
brace, and without word turned from him
Presently she took the shawl which lay OF
the sofa and began to wind it round her
YES" she said in a tone that went like
knife to Dicks heart, 1T is time | wen
homen
He moved step toward her; but with
gesture she waved him away. Nellie" b
cried, cannot you understand that it is be
cause prize your love more dearly than m,
own happiness that say so. Oh, darling, i
you would but believe thatr'
You are right" she answered more gent
ly. Il begin to see that. But it is not cas-
at first, Come, you must do me one NOR
kindness. | cannot go alonen
He offered his arm, which she took, and tc
gether they went downstairs. When the
reached the strand Dick hailed a cab, ordeI
ing the driver to proceed to within a shor
distance of Mr.. Carpenters residence
less than half an hour afterward the tw
were standing at the door
"Nellie," said Dick, with his hand upon tt
knocker, ''some day you will know what
has cost me to let You go. Your father he
forbidden me to enter his house Perhaps /
was right. Yet if l know myself the day
not far distant when he will be proud to we
come me back l have something wort
working for now.n He stopped and, holdin
her face between his hands, kissed the col
lips that made no effort TO eyade his owl
"Goodby, dear" he said; 81 shall come bac
soon to claim another
But, alas for the frailty of human purpos
it was the last time Dick ever kissed Nell
/ Carpenter.-T. Malcolm Watson in Be
, | gravia